Dear Doctor: Reenal Patel
The allergist with a nurturing and inclusive approach to caring for children
Board certified Allergist and Pediatrician Reenal Patel believes in a type of holistic approach to medicine that takes the whole person into account. She’s dedicated to her littlest patients, the kind who sometimes need to be coaxed into skin tests with lollipops and coloring books, and understands that they actually sometimes want to be included in a discussion of the examination process. She also espouses the belief that getting to know her patients through chit chat can help uncover the medical mysteries that might affect their lives the most. Here, we caught up with her, and learned about her upbringing and her compassionate care.
“We always lived with members of my extended family. Basically throughout my childhood, a cousin or an uncle was always on their way to somewhere and our house in Tampa was a pit stop along the way, which was really cool. Our home life consisted of a joint family. My dad has three brothers and one sister, and borders were porous. Now we’ve spread out but only a little — three uncles live within 15 minutes of each other, and everybody still hangs out with everybody.
As for how medicine came into my life, one of my dad’s brothers lived with us during medical school. He studied pediatrics and I have really clear memories of hearing about his experiences and feeling strongly influenced by that. Also, my mom triple majored in sciences in college, and she plays an important role in my life. So doctoring was kind of in the blood for me. Additionally, on the pediatric side of things, I have also always loved kids, maybe because of cohabitating with lots of different generations.”
On Working with Children
You have to have a lot of jokes. Not to mention organic lollipops and coloring books. Any kid is going to be afraid of the doctor; don’t forget that they’ve basically all had multiple vaccinations before they arrive on your examination table. Because children are also highly perceptive, I always tell them what I’m looking for. I also let them hold the instrument that I’m using to inspect them and tell them what I’m using it for, so that they know I don’t have any needles up my sleeve! Basically, I let them touch everything in the room. They all love listening to their own heartbeat in particular, and some of them may already have done that with their parents. When we do the skin testing, some get emotional, and that’s when the coloring books come out. With kids, a lot of the medical history I need comes from the parents. We rely on them for a lot of information, so I always listen attentively to the backstory, in addition to a detailed examination, of course.
The Social Component of Treating Allergies
Something people don’t often consider is that with allergies, where you don’t always know what you’re allergic to, you really have to rely on telling your story.
It’s like solving a puzzle, and your interaction with your doctor is the key that unlocks it.
On the physician end, you’re not just encountering a patient with runny nose and congestion. There may be an immunodeficiency or asthma, so you need to go the extra mile, and listen and work together with your patient. As allergists, we’re tasked with explaining to people the idea of systemic problems, getting them to think about who and what are in their day-to-day life that might be a trigger for their rash. A lot of people come in and say it’s this one thing when it’s actually another. They may be annoyed at the end of 45 questions, but then they have an “aha” moment of realizing it’s not seasonal allergies, but rather, say, a new product they started using, or something with their heating system. Plus, asking people about their personal life acknowledges you think of them as a real individual, it helps you remember them, and they feel more comfortable with you. It’s a win-win!
How Online Information Informs the Conversation
Because of their own research and the availability of information, parents are coming in very well-versed. The may even already know what their child’s condition is. My job is to lead them to evidence-based medicine and to tailor a treatment to them and their lifestyle. Sometimes the role of influencers can be a funny one — there are a lot of parents on Instagram with big followings talking about their children’s medical problems. But every kid is different, so even though someone is blogging about a condition that your child has, too, there are still about 30 other questions I need to ask that might differentiate what your child needs from what theirs does. Plus that blogger may be doing 15 other things they’re not blogging about! That said, it’s very nice to have a parent who has done their research; I just have to remind them gently that the same thing they’ve seen online may not work completely for their kid, and then we work together to develop a plan of action.
Lightning Round
If you’re a New Yorker suffering from seasonal allergies, you should… Keep your windows at home closed and your Uber cab windows up, and don’t forget to take a shower once you come home from work to remove the pollen.
A recent patient story that made me proud was when… A teenager who was a patient for a few years and could never leave his house during the spring because of his allergies and eczema, finally got complete relief through maintenance medications and lotions. He’s now able to have a social life.
The piece of clinical technology that makes my life easier is… Google images. It’s great to show patients examples of a rash, and ask them “did it look like this, or this?” A lot of people describe rashes incorrectly, so using images to understand is invaluable.
Favorites
Office amenity: Wifi! It occupies patients’ time while they’re getting tested.
Book: In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope. It’s about the experience of a doctor who herself was in the ICU.
Restaurant: Ilili, a great Lebanese place at 27th and 5th.
You can learn more about Dr. Patel at Allergy and Asthma Care of New York!
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
